Wow, can you believe the year is nearing the halfway point already? Well maybe not quite, but close enough, so I once again encourage you all to follow up on those New Year’s resolutions to get out more and be social. And if you’re still a bit nervous about COVID, I completely understand, but you can simply mask up and head out to one or all (I dare you) of these tantalizing events below. Just check out that header – “Arts”, “Culture”, “Stargazing”, “Giant Monsters” – and if that didn’t grab your attention, how about the 9th Annual Bob Baker Day or the new expansion to come at the Holocaust Museum, or even possibly, Free Jazz and a Scent Fair? I can’t please everyone, so if you chose “D” – none of the above – at least have a margarita on Cinco de Mayo and think about it for next time.
Arts, Culture, Stargazing, and Giant Monsters
LACMA, one of LA’s most beloved institutions, has really tickled my fancy again this week with the following calendar highlights. It all starts on Saturday, April 29 with Pressing Matters: Prints and Political Activism in the 20th and 21st Centuries, presented in person at Charles White Elementary School (2401 Wilshire Blvd). Organized in conjunction with Pressing Politics, and through support from the Getty Foundation’s The Paper Project initiative, this one-day symposium will explore the role of the graphic arts during periods of political transformation. The day will include a morning session, afternoon session, and curator-led walk-through. Check the event link for parking info and more details. The event takes place from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is still required. Bonus: It will also be livestreamed for those of you who can’t make it in person. 
Next up for LACMA is another FREE program, happening on Sunday, April 30, called Aspect Ratio Vol. 1: South L.A. Perspectives, in which community members from across South LA, in conjunction with the museum’s new film education program – Aspect Ratio – learned how to make the most of mobile device filmmaking technology “to create personal, place-based films that reflect their ideas and experience.” The result is a dynamic collection of short films that show South L.A. as most have never seen it before. The event will take place at 6 p.m. at Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park Recreation Center located at 12645 Wadsworth Ave. 
Lastly, on Friday, May 5 from 6-8 p.m., Jazz at LACMA continues with a FREE concert starring Emmy and Grammy-nominated guitarist and composer Grant Geissman, who has released 16 albums under his own name, including most recently the blues album BLOOZ, and has recorded with such artists as Burt Bacharach, Julio Iglesias, Quincy Jones, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, David Benoit, and Ringo Starr. Impressive to say the least! Jazz at LACMA is free and open to all. Seating is limited and first come, first served. Masks are encouraged but not required.
What better way to start the new week off than at an afternoon delight / Speaker Series Monday Lunch at the Ebell of Los Angeles with Heidi Duckler – Renowned Choreographer, Filmmaker, and Dance Pioneer – am I right? On Monday, May 1, Duckler will be in the house presenting an original showcase that includes a live performance and premiere screening of her dance highlight film, with talkback discussion to follow. A pioneer of place-based contemporary dance practice, she has created more than 500 works globally since 1985, and is the award-winning Founder and Artistic Director of Heidi Duckler Dance in Los Angeles. This extra special luncheon will also include insight into Duckler’s creative process and “the execution of the company’s values of community, inclusivity and spatial justice.” The day will commence at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $45 for members and $60 for non-members.
Living in Los Angeles can be a bit of a bummer if you long to gaze at more than 10 stars in the sky at a time, but luckily you have a somewhat underutilized resource in the Griffith Observatory just waiting for you to, well, utilize it, and this Saturday, April 29 is the perfect opportunity to do just that at a Public Star Party. Once a month, the Observatory partners with local telescope groups to share their telescopes and knowledge with you – the curious public – and with plenty of telescopes at your disposal, there’s always something to see! These FREE monthly star parties take place from 2-9:45 p.m. with the assistance of volunteers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers, and The Planetary Society. Please note that the Observatory does not permit the operation of private, unauthorized telescopes on its grounds, for either public or private use. Regular hours are Tues-Fri, 12-10 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; closed on Mon.
If you’re in a more artsy mood on Saturday, April 29, join Congressman Adam Schiff at The Ebell of Los Angeles, 741 S. Lucerne Blvd. for the 30th Congressional Art Competition, including an open art exhibition from 11am to 1:30 pm, followed by a forum and awards ceremony. According to the Ebell, “The Congressional Art Competition is a decades-long tradition that encourages and recognizes the talent of young artists across the country. This exciting opportunity provides high school students from Grades 9-12 with a platform to showcase their artwork across various mediums while also receiving accolades for their efforts. In addition to the first, second and third place winners selected by an esteemed panel of judges, a “People’s Choice Award” selected by constituents of the 30th Congressional District will be awarded.” Admission and parking are free, but please RSVP to [email protected]
Howdy, cool cats! I’m pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Bob Baker Day is happening this Sunday, April 30 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Los Angeles State Historic Park, so bring your litter of cool kittens on down for a full day of fun that includes a carnival, puppets, music, games, special guests, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as this year’s Grand Marshall, and more! In addition, the Velaslavasay Panorama and OneHouse Arts will present an “Animals in Motion” workshop, where attendees will have the opportunity to create an optical illusion with simple materials. The park is located at 1245 N Spring St. in DTLA. Bob Baker Day is free for all, but a suggested donation of $20 will help greatly with the cost of infrastructure needed “to provide a safe, exciting and accessible day for all”. RSVP is required.
The Holocaust Museum LA is expanding!! And on Sunday, April 30 from 5-7 p.m. you can hear all about it from the designer himself at Building Truth: A Conversation with Architect Hagy Belzberg, when the Harvard educated, award-winning architect sits down with author and curator Greg Goldin for a behind the scenes look at this exciting expansion project. To meet the need and demand for Holocaust education, the “Building Truth” expansion plan will double the Museum’s footprint without losing any green space in Pan Pacific Park where the Museum is currently located. Included in the soon to be executed plans, is the new Jona Goldrich Campus complete with a 200-seat theater for film screenings, concerts, conferences and public programs; outdoor reflective spaces; two classrooms; an authentic boxcar found outside of Majdanek death camp in Poland; and 2,500 sq. ft. of special exhibit space that will allow the HMLA “to keep survivor voices alive, amplify its reach and impact, and increase visibility”. This is a FREE public event; RSVP HERE.
And the NHM’s First Fridays 2023 season – Fantasy & Fandoms: The Natural World vs. Fantasy Worlds – is sadly almost over already (where does the time go), but you still have two more chances to explore the Natural History Museum after hours with live music, DJs, topical discussions, signature cocktails, pop-up experiences and merch stores, cosplay contests, special museum collections, food trucks, and more! This month’s madness happening on Friday, May 5, will focus on Giant Monsters and the legacy of Giant Robot Magazine, which “created an appetite for Asian and Asian American pop culture.” The evening will include all of the above mentioned thingies, as well as a discussion of how Asian pop culture has influenced and propelled popular culture throughout the years from Godzilla and anime to Hello Kitty and K-pop, followed by a screening of the documentary Artbound/Giant Robot: Asian Pop Culture and Beyond. The adventure begins at 5 p.m. at the low-low cost of just $20 for non-members and FREE for members. The next, and last, First Friday of 2023 will be on June 2.
Finally, get out those coffee grinds and clean your scent palates, people, because it’s time for Scent Fair LA 2023 happening at the Craft Contemporary, May 5-7. Presented by The Institute for Art and Olfaction and Darin Klein & Friends, Scent Fair LA aims “to introduce new audiences to the world of highly conceptual scents” with a curated selection of cutting-edge fragrance makers exhibiting and selling their work, and hands-on workshops for you to try out your own fragrance making skills. And to kick things off there will be an Opening Night Preview Party on Friday, May 5 where you can be amongst the first to experience what the fair has to offer, with an open bar and music sets by special guest DJs. Bonus: the first 30 attendees will also receive five sample fragrances! The party will take place from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $30 for Craft Members. Kindly Register Here. The event continues through the weekend, so check back next week or go to CC’s website for more info. And for all you crafters out there, be sure to check out the museum’s full calendar for workshops like basket weaving and crepe paper poppies happening this week as well.
Local Government
Your local NC, voted “most likely to succeed” back in high school, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council will have just one meeting this week, and it’s for the Resilience Committee on Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Coldwell Banker located at 251 N. Larchmont Blvd. Check the GWNC’s website for agendas and full calendar here. And don’t forget to vote for your local representatives in the Neighborhood Council Elections taking place all across our general part of the city on Sunday, April 30. In-person voting for the GWNC will take place in the parking lot of the Barking Lot pet supply store, at 336 N. Larchmont Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (And you can drop off your mail-in ballots there, too, if you haven’t already mailed them.) More details here.
And the Mid City West Neighborhood Council has no meetings scheduled this week, but again, and I can’t emphasize this enough – please be sure to vote for your neighborhood’s representatives at the Neighborhood Council Elections, also taking place for Mid City West on Sunday, April 30. In-person voting and vote-by-mail ballot drop-offs for the MCWNC will take place at the entrance to the Pan Pacific Park Rec Center, 7600 Beverly Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More details here. Also, please Note: all MCW meetings will now be held at the Pan Pacific Park Senior Center (lunch room) located at 141 S. Gardner St., Los Angeles.
